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MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, July 31, 2009) – The British Commonwealth has given Fiji one month to announce a timetable for holding democratic elections by the end of 2010 or face suspension from the 53 nation organisation.

Nine Commonwealth Foreign ministers were summoned to London for talks on the fate of Fiji.

They met the Secretary General for seven hours to discuss the military crackdown and political situation in Fiji.

After a briefing from Fiji's High Commissioner to London, the Commonwealth gave Fiji until September the 1st to announce that democratic elections will be held no later than October 2010 or it will be fully suspended from the Commonwealth.

Murray McCully New Zealand's foreign minister says it's an ultimatum and Fiji needs to decide if it wants to engage with the international community and stay within the Commonwealth.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, August 2, 2009) – The Northern Marianas Emergency Management Office has asked the governor to extend for another 30 days the Anatahan state of disaster emergency declaration, which expired last week.

Governor Benigno Fitial is expected to renew the latest emergency declaration, which was originally signed six years ago when Anatahan volcano erupted in 2003.

No one was directly threatened by the initial strong explosive activity, because residents had long evacuated the small volcanic island.

But it spewed out clouds of ashes that reached Philippines jurisdiction

The declaration bans travels to the island except for scientific expeditions, and says that Anatahan remains unsafe for human habitation.

The deputy special assistant for the Emergency Management Office, Joaquin Omar, says the volcano appears to have entered a quiescent period...

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, July 31, 2009) – Tourism Minister Seth Gukuna says his ministry will sponsor more students to undertake the certificate course at Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE).

The sponsorship is part of the Ministry’s ongoing assistance towards the Tourism and Hospitality school that opened at SICHE this year.

The Ministry has sponsored 10 of the 33 students that enrolled this year. Mr. Gukuna in response to MP for Temotu Nende, Patterson Oti’s question, said the Ministry will sponsor more students next year.

He said the call for applications will be put out in the media around September. Gukuna said this is part of his Ministry’s long term plan to improve tourism industry in the country.

As part of short term training, Mr Gukuna said his Ministry plans to hold five courses this year. He said this training targets mainly the existing tourism operators.

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, August 2, 2009) – Fiji Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama says the warning by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to suspend Fiji will not distract him from the roadmap he has outlined for the country.

Bainimarama told FijiLive that he is not moved at all.

"People have tried to change us from the last 18 months but what we have set out to do, will not change," he said.

However, he said the government has not received any letter from the CMAG to inform him of their decision.

The Commonwealth renewed a warning to Fiji yesterday that it would be suspended from the grouping in September, if it failed to commit to holding new elections by next year following the 2006 coup.

In March, the Commonwealth gave Fiji a six-month deadline to restore democracy, three years after military leader Bainimarama overthrew the elected government.

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, July 31, 2009) – Three more MPs from the Government ranks have reportedly joined the Opposition camp, bringing the total number to 35.

There are others who are in talks with the Opposition as indicated by the Opposition camp.

On the other hand the Government with Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare had a cabinet meeting and an emergency meeting with his members to keep them intact.

[PIR editor’s note: The Papua New Guinea Parliament currently has 109 members, although the country’s constitution allows for a total of 126. PNG’s population as of this month is slightly over 6 million.]

And the 56 MPs who voted with the Prime Minister for the adjournment of Parliament on Wednesday have been given high priority to receive a total of K112 million [US$44 million] .

A Government minister confirmed that each of the 56 MPs would receive K2 million [US$789,...

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (The Samoa News, August 1, 2009) - Congressman Faleomavaega Eni announced last night that U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye personally called him to say that he had introduced provisions in the FY2010 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill to delay the next minimum wage increase until after the U.S. Government Accountability Office completes its report on the impact of the minimum wage increases on American Samoa and CNMI.

Faleomavaega said the Senate Appropriations Committee — chaired by Inouye — marked up and favorably reported out the bill on Thursday.

During a meeting yesterday held at U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka’s office, Faleomavaega said he updated Gov. Togiola Tulafono on the latest development regarding the delay in the minimum wage.

The next wage hike is set for May 2010 and Faleomavaega said in June that U.S. Rep. George Miller and U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy "have agreed to postpone the...

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Sun, August 3, 2009) – Australia has been told to recognise the status of the Fiji High Commission in Canberra or face the consequences.

The following threat was made by Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama after the Australian government has refused to recognise the High Commission in Canberra.

Prime Minister Cmdr Voreqe Bainimarama said he has asked the Australian High Commissioner James Batley to upgrade the position of Fiji’s High Commission to Australia or face necessary the consequences.

Cmdr Bainimarama asked Mr. Batley to inform the Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Steven Smith to upgrade the position of Fiji’s High Commission to Australia or face the downgrading of its High Commission here in Fiji.

Cmdr Bainimarama said the Australian High Commission will be downgraded if Batley does not act on their warnings.

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, July 28, 2009) – Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua says there are talks with the Papua New Guinea Government to settle the claims of Choiseul and Shortland people.

Dr Sikua revealed this when asked by MP for North West Choiseul, Clement Kengava. He said the assistance given by Papua New Guinea Government since the late UlufaÃ¡lu Government in 1997 has come to an end.

The assistance was used to support local students studying in PNG and building a chancery in Port Moresby. However, he said following his discussion with PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare in Port Villa during the Special Leaders Summit, he has agreed to extend it.

"I ask for around $40-50 million kina [US$16 - US$20 million] that will cover projects of both provinces. This is because of what I have on the record," he said. Dr Sikua said it is up to our officials to fast track this work.

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, August 3, 2009) – The Methodist church has offered an olive branch to the State in a bid to be part of nation building.

After weeks of defiance against the State's decision not to allow the annual conference in Rewa next month, the church backed down, saying it would respect the ban and hoped to be included in restoration plans for peace and unity for everyone.

Assistant general secretary Reverend Tevita Banivanua said the church was now focussed on reconciliation, an ongoing process that started with requests for apologies for events the church witnessed in 1989.

"The reconciliation process has already started and is ongoing. It started with our former presidents," Mr. Banivanua said.

"We wanted to clean our house first," he said.

Banivanua said following its cordial meeting with State officials on Tuesday, there were positive indications that there were doors open...

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.